Tag: legalresearch

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lawlibrary

What’s new…

New editions have arrived at the Anne Arundel County Public law Library!

The library has added new editions on the shelf from LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters, and the MSBA.

LexisNexis Practice Guide: Maryland Environmental Law– 2025 Edition

LexisNexis Practice Guide: Maryland Environmental Law -This guide was designed to address regulatory provisions related to programs overseen by the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It examines rule making, permitting and enforcement issues. This guide includes summaries of certain significant federal environmental laws implemented by the State of Maryland, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. The guide also addresses areas where the State environmental laws are implemented primarily at the local level.

Chapters discuss the following:
•  air quality,
•  water quality,
•  wetlands,
•  solid waste and sewage disposal,
•  hazardous waste,
•  land remediation,
•  oil control and storage tank management,
•  Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coastal Bay issues and
•  natural resource issues.

In addition to discussion of the specific laws and regulations and their implementation, the guide includes over 250 practice tips (strategic points, timing, warnings and exceptions).

Call No.: KFM 1554 A.15 2025

The following titles are also available:

Maryland Motor Vehicle Insurance, 2026 Edition

Maryland Motor Vehicle Insurance, provides and in-depth analysis on Maryland’s statutory law and the state’s insurance program.

Call No.: KFM 1391 .A4 J34 2026

Maryland Civil Procedure forms (Vols. 3 and 4, Maryland Practice Series), 2025-2026 Edition

Maryland Civil Procedure forms, contains more than 1,000 letters, motions, pleadings, briefs, orders, affidavits, as well as practice tips. It offers valuable insights for adapting the forms for individual use, and provides important information on the proper use and timing of the specific form. It also cross-references to other publications when relevant to the use or drafting of a form.

Call No.: KFM 1730 .A65 L5 2025-2026

From Maryland State Bar Association:

Legal Representation and Fee Agreements for the Maryland Lawyer: Forms and Comments, 3rd Edition

Legal Representation and Fee Agreements for the Maryland Lawyer: Forms and Comments provides attorneys with practical tools for structuring attorney-client relationships through clear, authoritative forms and commentary.

Call No:

KFM 1277.5 .F4 B36 2025

Key Features of the Third Edition:

  • Comprehensive Modernization: This edition incorporates extensive updates to reflect the renumbered, restructured, and revised Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct. This ensures all forms, clauses, and discussions align with current professional standards.
  • New Trust Account Rules: The book addresses the significant July 1, 2025, amendments to Rule 19-301.15(c) and the updated IOLTA compliance provisions in Rule 19-411.
  • Updated Case Law: The publication includes recent case law from the Maryland Supreme Court and Appellate Court concerning fee agreements, co-counsel arrangements, and related ethical obligations.
  • Practical Guidance: The book provides a wide array of forms for various billing methods, including:
    • Hourly Rate (single, discounted, and blended )
    • Fixed and Flat Rates
    • Capped Fees
    • Contingency and Modified Contingency
    • Hybrid Arrangements
    • Pro Bono and Reduced Fee Programs
    • Traffic, Criminal, and Family Law cases
  • Ethical Considerations: Commentary throughout the book highlights critical ethical considerations, such as conflicts of interest, attorney liens, and fee-sharing with other lawyers. It also includes sample declination letters and guidance on avoiding malpractice claims.

Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, 3rd Edition (2025)

The Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, 2025 Update, “contains more than 200 jury instructions accompanied by comprehensive comments explaining the appropriate constitutional, statutory, court rule, and case authority supporting the instruction”. It includes instructions on specific criminal offenses, as well as introductory and cautionary instructions, general instructions, evidentiary instructions, and instructions on defenses, parties, and verdict sheets.

Call No.: KFM 1783 .M3 2025

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lawlibrary

What’s New…

New editions have arrived at the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library!

The library has added new editions on the shelf from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA), and Thomson Reuters.

Consumer Credit Regulation, 2025 Edition

This new edition, written and compiled by experts in consumer law, includes topics concerning credit cards, payday loans, auto finance, and other non-mortgage credit issues. It is an amalgamation consisting of chapters on what is interest, what is a loan, and credit math, how to litigate predatory lending cases, and includes summaries regarding lending statutes, installment loan laws, and much more!

Call No.: SELF HELP NCLC KF 1040 .C37 2025

Repossession, 2025 Edition

This new edition includes every aspect of motor vehicle, manufactured home, and household goods repossessions and deficiency claims, and is the #1 resource on consumer repossessions. The book contains a detailed chapter on types of defenses to a deficiency lawsuit, a chapter on affirmative consumer claims and counterclaims, standing issues in federal and state courts, and also includes sample pleadings and discovery.

Call no.: SELF HELP NCLC KF 1058 .S54 2025

Gibber on Estate Administration, 8th Edition

The new edition of Gibber on Estate Administration is a practical guide for navigating probate and is considered the most accurate resource for lawyers handling decedents’ estates. The updated edition includes step-by-step procedural guidance, offers comprehensive checklists, helpful forms, and valuable suggestions.

This new edition of Gibber on Estate Administration covers important changes in the following:

  • Updated Maryland Estate Tax Regime
  • Creation of Registered Domestic Partnerships
  • Transfers on Death for LLCs and Partnerships
  • Firearms in Estates
  • Posthumous Conception
  • Electronic Signatures & Filing
  • Updated Fees for Foreign Personal Representatives

Call No.: KFM 1347 .G5 2025

Maryland Litigation Forms and Analysis, 2025 ed.

Maryland Litigation Forms and Analysis provides plaintiffs’ and defendants’ counsel pleading and practice forms for use in civil actions in Maryland. The volume set includes:

  • More than 1,000 letters, motions, briefs, affidavits, orders, and related forms
  • Practice tips that offer valuable insights for adapting the forms to certain circumstances
  • Essential information on the correct use and timing of specific forms
  • Cross-references to other publications

Call No.: KFM 1730.A65 M372 202

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lawlibrary

What’s New…

New editions have arrived at the Anne Arundel County Public law Library!

Maryland Rules of Court – State and Federal, 2025 ed. (Vols. I & II)

From Thomson Reuters, a new edition of Maryland Court Rules–State and Federal (Volumes I and II) have been added to our shelves.

The new volumes provide the rules of court needed to practice before the state and federal courts of Maryland. Volume I includes state rules of court such as Circuit Court and District Court—Civil Procedure, criminal causes, and evidence. Volume II includes federal rules of curt such as Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Forms, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and Forms, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Rules, Rules of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Local Bankruptcy Rules of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, Rules of Procedure of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, and much more.

Lexis Nexis’ Maryland Estate Planning, Will drafting, and Estate Administration forms

Call No.: KFM 1340 .A65 B37 1995

A 2024 edition and new release of the Maryland Estate Planning, Will drafting, and Estate Administration forms has arrived. The Maryland Estate Planning, Will drafting, and Estate Administration forms with practice commentary features clear and concise analysis put together by estate planning experts as well as a comprehensive collection of practice-tested legal forms that can be used to meet the needs of clients. This release includes updates in the following listed areas: estate planning basics, acquisition of necessary data, non-probate assets, powers of attorney, pre-probate planning, income-shifting devices, irrevocable and revocable trusts, complex wills and much more.

LexisNexis’ Maryland Civil Procedure forms

A 2024 fourth edition and new release of the Maryland Civil Procedure forms is now available in the law library. This new edition has been constructed with the intent to assist civil trial attorneys and provide brief and clear examples of pleadings and papers that follow the latest Rules changes and up to date court interpretations of the Rules. The new edition includes the following: updated civil practice forms to conform to Rules changes and case law developments, up-to-date explanations on statutory and Rules changes presiding over current practice in the Maryland Courts, and extensive case law annotations of the Rules.

Call No.: KFM 1730 .A65 K64 2000

The following title is also available:

LexisNexis Practice Guide: Maryland Contract Litigations

A 2025 edition of Maryland Contract Litigations is available to view at the law library. “Maryland Contract Litigation guides you through claims, defenses, and other issues that arise in an action involving contract claims. The guide simplifies the process of litigating a contract case by identifying essential elements and setting them out in an easy to understand way. Insights from Maryland experts are reflected throughout, with practice tips targeting issues of particular interest.”

Call No.: KFM 1351 .L5 2025

New from the Maryland State Bar Associations!

The library has added two new editions from the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA).

The 2024 edition of Guide to Maryland Courts, is “an all-in-one compilation of logistical information you need to know when preparing to appear or attend court in state, county, and federal courts across Maryland. An essential resource for experienced Maryland attorneys, new lawyers, and attorneys from out of state, the Guide to Maryland Courts includes a high-level overview of the structure of Maryland’s judiciary before moving on to jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction breakdown of: contact information for key personnel, security protocols, including processes and prohibited items, courthouse and courtroom technology available, accommodations and accessibility, local Rules, parking, and notes differentiated case management plans where available.”

Call No.: KFM 1710 .G85 2024

Maryland Postconviction Law: A Comprehensive Guide

First edition of Maryland Postconviction Law: A Comprehensive Guide is now available at the law library. This 2024 edition is a guide meant to assist with complex postconviction legal framework in Maryland and contains the following key features: detailed roadmap for attorneys, habeas corpus & coram nobis, probation, parole & pardons, and immigration consequences.

Call No.: KFM 1747 .C37 2024

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lawlibrary

A Quick Guide to Locating Executive Orders

The Federal Register is a daily gazette published by the National Archives and Records Administration that contains executive orders, proposed rules and regulations, public notices, as well as notices of hearings, decisions, and investigations.

To find executive orders, go to Federalregister.gov, hover over the Browse tab with the view icon and select Presidential Documents.

Or, for a faster way to locate executive orders click on the link listed here–https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders. In here, you will find a list of executive orders signed by each President. You can select to view all executive orders that have been signed since 1937 or you can browse by President and year from the list provided on their site. You will also find the Executive Order Disposition Tables, which show what year executive orders have been signed by each President and how many executive orders have been signed per year.

To view recent executive orders–https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/donald-trump/2025

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lawlibrary

What’s New…

New editions added to the Law Library:

Maryland Criminal Law and Motor Vehicle Handbook: KFM1761 .M37 2023-2024

Residential Real Estate Transactions: KFM1326 .R47 2024

DSM-5-TR: REF RC455.2 C4 D55 2022

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lawlibrary

Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Updates

The Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy’s newest edition of its Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Manual: Version 16.0 is available in the law library (KFM1763 .M3) and online. The changes went into effect on February 1, 2024. Guidelines E-NEWS Vol. 19 summarizes some of the changes: 

  • Clarifying instructions that animals are not considered victims in the multiple victims stacking rule 
  • Newly adopted instructions relating to the guidelines scoring for offenses with mandatory consecutive sentences 
  • Modified instructions for scoring weapons presence points for Part C of the offense score when the offense involves the presence of a feigned weapon 
  • Clarifying instructions relating to the guidelines scoring for sentences to probation before judgment (PBJ) pursuant to the criminal Procedure Article (CP), § 6-220(c) 
Categories
lawlibrary

What’s New…

New Editions Added to the Law Library from Lexis.

Maryland Rules of Procedure 2024 

Maryland Civil Procedure Forms: with practice commentary: KFM 1730.A65 L5 2023-2024 

Maryland Contract Litigation: KFM 1351.L5 2024 

Maryland Motor Vehicle Insurance: KFM 1391 .A4 J34 2024 

Maryland School laws and Regulations Annotated: KFM 1590 .A29 M37 2023-2024 

Maryland School Law Deskbook: KFM 1590 .M38 2023-2024 

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lawlibrary

New Year – New Law Library – Same Great Service

Did you know that the law library has moved not once but twice in the last three years? The law library is now in a great new space right inside the front door of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court – right after security.  (Room 301 – the old jury office.)

  • From the old
  • to the new …

The law library moved to the AABA Lawyers’ Lounge in September 2020. (The law library space was needed for the social distancing of jurors.) This was a much smaller space with only four workspaces and computers. It was also difficult to find. Still, with COVID limiting access to the courthouse and then having such a small space, the law library could offer access to the same services as before:

  • Research assistance
  • Online legal research databases including Lexis and Westlaw
  • Legal research training and instruction
  • Online query formulation
  • Research co-browsing
  • Document delivery
  • Technology and MDEC assistance
  • Pro bono coordination
  • Circulation of legal texts and treatises

The law library had converted much of the United States resources to a digital format with a plan to gradually acclimate library users to more reliance on online.  With COVID, the plan was accelerated. Luckily, Lexis and Westlaw already provided access to just about all the material once held in print. Use of online resources does make it easy to email information and even provide co-browsing research sessions with results sent via email.

The Maryland collection is still available in print and superseded codes have also been retained for historic research.  Use the catalog to see what is in the collection whether print or digital: https://a94031.eos-intl.net/A94031/OPAC/

The law library now provides a variety of workspaces, 13 computers with access to legal research databases and Microsoft office, a Maryland print collection and a small conference room equipped with videoconferencing capability. It is a great space to visit for legal research, client consults, document preparation and copies. But if you are not in the courthouse, just call (410-222-1387) or email (AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov) and take advantage of library services wherever you are.

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lawlibrary

Researching Supreme Court Cases and Briefs

Because of recent decisions and other issues, the United States Supreme Court has come under increasing scrutiny.  Although controversies involving the Justices are best left to the media, research into the Court’s primary function – deciding cases – has become much easier if you know where to look.

The following resources can assist you in your research into the decisions of the Third Branch.

Where do I find the Court’s decisions and some briefs online?

The place to start is with the Supreme Court’s web portal.  This page introduces you to the Court. You can learn about the Court, media information, information about Court Rules, view information about oral arguments.

Two of the most useful pages from the Court’s portal are the Opinions page and the Case Document page. The most recent opinions are in a “slip opinion” format, but the Opinions Page also offers a link to the US Reports page, which includes links to entire bound volumes of the United States Reports back to the 1991 Term.

For a serious researcher, the Case Documents page is a valuable resource.  This page informs the researcher Where to Find Briefs. The Case Documents page offers a link to the Journal.  A valuable reference resource can be found in the Docket Search page. While a list of docket entries in a case might not be particularly enlightening, displaying a case docket will also provide information about briefs that have been filed, including amicus briefs.

Useful Blog about the Supreme Court with up-to-date commentary. Scotusblog describes itself as offering Independent News & Analysis on the U.S. Supreme Court.  This is a very useful resource, which provides up-to-date analysis of cases pending or just decided in the current term and presents inciteful analysis.

If you wish to view Supreme Court opinions in their original format, the Library of Congress presents an online collection of the entire Supreme Court canon in PDF format: United States Reports (Official Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court).

Resources at the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library include Westlaw and Lexis, in addition to providing PCs to view Supreme Court databases in Westlaw.

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lawlibrary

What’s New…

The Library now has new titles from the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA), the National Business Institute (NBI), and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC).  

MSBA  

The 2022 seventh edition of Pleading Causes of Action in Maryland from MSBA provides example complaints with updated commentary to help the reader plead their case: 

Pleading causes of action in Maryland. Authors: Paul Mark Sandler, James K. Archibald, & Eleanor T. Chung. KFM1735 .S26 2022 RES 

NBI  

NBI hosts seminars on an array of legal topics for every state jurisdiction. The Library receives the bound Maryland materials that include lectures, presentation slides, and sample forms.  

Mini law school for Maryland HR professionals. Authors: Mitchell Batt, Alexander P. Berg, Douglas W. Desmarais, Andrea E. Murphy. KFM1534 .M56 2022 

Maryland estate administration from start to finish. Authors: Liz Johnson, Roger J. McClure, Krista N. Robertson, Adam M. Spence. KFM1347 .J6 2022 

Auto insurance, UM/UIM, bad faith, and liens in Maryland Authors: Charles W. Kramer, Dennis F. O’Brien, Dustin T. Woehl, Steven B. Vinick. KFM1739 .K7 2022 

Maryland auto injury cases : from accident to trial. Authors: Dennis F. O’Brien, Steven B. Vinick. KFM1739 .I5 2022 

NCLC  

The books in NCLC’s digital collection, available online and in print, are excellent, reader-friendly sources for comprehensive information on consumer debt, credit, mortgages, fraud, litigation, and other topics.  

Fair credit reporting. Authors: Chi Chi Wu, Ariel Nelson ; contributing authors, Elizabeth De Armond [and 6 others]. SELF HELP NCLC KF1040 .R63 2022 

Credit discrimination. Author: Battle, Jeremiah, Jr. SELF HELP NCLC KF697.D5 C74 2022